VDCTTY v0.1 C128 VDC SCREEN TTY DRIVER
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by Ilker Ficicilar - February 1997
filker@newton.physics.metu.edu.tr
e068214@orca.ccmetu.edu.tr
This vdctty filter command is coded as a LUnix command of LUnix OS.
If someone executes the LUnix in the C64 mode of his C128, maybe he/she
wants to use 80 column screen of C128. And this is what the 'vdctty' is for.
The first thing 'vdctty' does is to initialize the VDC screen to 25 rows,
80 columns, monochrome text mode, and underlined blinking cursor. After
initialization, it enters in a loop of getting petscii characters from its
input pipe and printing them to VDC screen. The 'vdctty' terminates if the
pipe no more exists.
To use it, add 'vdctty' command's name 'vdctty' to the end of your
commands with a piping char: '!'. For example:
sh0.exe ! vdctty
above command-structure opens a new shell as foreground process and directs
its output to VDC screen.
ed ! vdctty
this invokes the ED editor and prints its output to VDC screen.
cat ! vdctty
prints given petscii text file to the 80 columns VDC screen
atkeyb ! sh0.exe ! vdctty &
this Dragon loads the PC-AT keyboard driver, redirects its output to a shell
and again directs the output of shell to the VDC 80column screen as a
background process. Then it returns to the parent shell, and permits you
and your friend to use same C128 with different keyboards and monitors.
note: 'atkeyb' is partially completed for now, and will not be released soon.
Currently 'vdctty' only uses TTY type print option. That is you can't use
up and down cursor keys, home key doesn't mean anything and clearscreen puts
the cursor in the bottom line again. You can use left, right, delete and
return keys as control keys. And you may print only petscii characters.
Furthermore, if you do not want to use 40 column screen any more, you
can use 'fast128' or 'fast' commands to speed the machine a little bit.
Fast128 switches to 2MHz mode, and 'fast' closes the VIC screen.
As a final note; I wrote this document, using 'sh0.exe ! vdctty' , 'fast128'
and 'ed'.
Ilker Ficicilar
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